So I've finally started working on Nova Orbis again, and I whipped up this amusing exchange between Piras and Vezon discussing (and critiquing) fleshy people like us, and delving into their own origins while they're at it. Enjoy this scene. Consider it a longer than usual preview of the next chapter.

"So that's where babies come from."

"Incredible... and perplexing," Piras commented as Vezon finished informing him about the flesh people's method of... continuing. "I mean, I knew these 'fleshies' reproduced by some means. There are many fully organic animal species around Miro Nui, mostly fish, who do the same thing. But the way these natives change as they grow, spending their early years as these, what did you call them?"

"Children?"

"Yeah, those. Your description of a child sounds a lot like how I'd describe a Matoran."

"They're EXACTLY like Matoran. Well, to a point, so maybe not. But their growth from childhood to adulthood is very similar to a Matoran's transformation into a Toa. It just takes longer and they don't need magic stones to do it."

"So, before, you mentioned Verlammen's father- her male parent- and her, um... grandad? Who is that?"

"Her father's father."

"Riiiight, wow, these people have really short lives."

"I know. It's funny. Back on the old world, I remember meeting people just like them, these fleshies. They were more robust, you could say. Some of them rivaled our own life spans thanks to implants that granted them unnatural strength and longevity."

"Really? And you lived alongside them for a time? Why didn't they come to the new world with us?"

"I wouldn't know. I wasn't around when you left the old world. I left, and arrived here, much earlier, and via different means."

"Okay, okay, one story at a time. So were they as different from us as these natives are, or were they more similar?"

Vezon thought for a moment.

"That's where things get weird. They were a little more like us. In fact, you modern Toa and Matoran remind me a little of those people. Aside from implants, they had no mechanics in their bodies whatsoever, though I do believe they had metal bones. In some ways, their bodies were a little more complex than ours, with about thrice as many internal organs as my generation and, hmmm.... about twice as many as yours, I'd say. I believe our creators based our design on their appearance, and to some degree, their physiology, but our bodies were more efficient. We were more streamlined, durable, and didn't require as much substanence or rest to keep working."

"And those people from the old world, they 'reproduced' the way these people do?"

"Oh lord, don't remind me. I actually walked in on such a ritual about to take place, once. It's was awkward like nothing else."

"I'd imagine so."

"And you modern types, you 'reproduced' some thousands of years ago by doing what? I didn't really catch it when a Matoran tried to get me to understand some centuries ago."

"The current generation of Matoran began life as the 'Natum.' It was a new word I don't believe existed in your time. It means newborn in the modern tongue. We also call them Protos."

"No, no, it's not- well, actually it is sort of like that, in that they inherited some of the old generation's biology. They start out as empty frames, part Protodermis and part bone, and the softer organic components are grown inside the frame. The frame can even change shape a bit over time to better accommodate the organic portions of the body, even after a Natum is released from their pod."

"The the organic parts-?"

"Are grown from samples of the previous generation. Bits of organic matter donated by the likes of the Turaga and the other people of their- I mean your time."

"Hmmmm..."

"What? Have you remembered something?"

"No, just another theory, is all. How much you wanna bet some of the old desert peoples' biomass was in that mix as well? That there's a bit of them in you, and that's why you're more alike than I am."

"I never thought of that. The Turaga made no mention of such people, after all."

"They probably wanted to keep the story from getting over complicated."

"But it's not a story, is it? How did your generation come about, anyway? You say you were created, but how?"

"We were... well, it sounds a little cold to say it this way now, but there's simply no other way to say it. We were built. We were constructed, like children's toys. Our organs were synthetic. Our brains engineered. And not bio-engineering, I mean like a clock. It's not all that different from how your generation was made, but it's not all that different from how these people build their Mechanicles. Is it any wonder they mockingly call us 'robots' sometimes?"

"It does sound rather cold."

"We were never REALLY like the Mechanicles, though. At least I don't think so. We were always more alive, in some ways. All it took was someone granting us the gift of independent thought, and that's when our evolution began... and just look at you, now."

"This is a lot to take in."

"Well, I've had a lot of time to take it in. but you know, there is one thing I will never, ever get about these people."

"What is it?"

"The way they curse. They have this compulsion to constantly make reference to parts of their body, or worse, the things their bodies expel."

"Yeah, I've heard them say such things a few times. You're saying those are their swear words?"

"Yeah, and it's weird, like, they know on some level that the way their bodies function is actually REALLY disgusting, so they laugh it off, but it just comes off like they're admitting how needlessly complicated and messy their bodies are."

"Do any of these make sense to you?"

"This one's always sounded kind of funny to me, and it's about as articulate is their curses ever get, but more than a few times, usually by the new guards, I've been called 'old as $#!%."

"That..." Piras was genuinely stumped. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know! It just sounds funny and stupid."

Piras shook his head.

"These organics are strange."

"Their entire outer body itself is an organ that carries the other organs. Just try wrapping your head around that."

"Wha-? What do you even call that?"

"I've called them many things, but I find 'meatbag' rolls off the tongue the most musically. Still, strange as they are, we're not that different. Somewhere, I realized Turaga are really just the surly grandparents of our kind."

"....Oh my gosh, they kind of are. That is so weird."

Aaaand that's it for now. I hope this scene isn't too inappropriate. Feedback is deeply appreciated.

Yeah, this whole conversation was a chance to poke fun at G1, and also articulate things that must've crossed our minds at some point or other. Even the bit about the Turaga being the grumpy grandparents of their race is like... we've all thought that, right?

Great to see that Nova Orbis is slowly coming back ! I absolutely love the Venators, and I think their color-schemes are amazing.

Now I do have a little hypotheses here, not sure if I'm correct in any way, but I'll leave it in spoilers just to be sure :

Spoiler

After re-reading some of the chapters of the Journey to Caelum, I'm beginning to suspect that the so-called "fall" which caused the trenches in the ocean-floor is the moment Mata Nui was actually falling on the planet after being ill during the Great Disruption.

It would explain why they have such a hatred towards everything related to the Bionicle.

Of course, this is just a hypotheses

Anyway, keep up the great work, can't wait to read more in the future !

I'm sorry for taking this long to get back to you, Blue91233. I've been dedicating my every waking hour to finishing my book so I can push it out as soon as possible. I promise, after that (a few months from now), I'll slow down and should have more time for Nova Orbis. It's just... this other project HAS to come first, or I don't have a future.

So far, I've finished a third of the book. It should be done sometime in may. It's about a cyborg girl who has autism. Her name is Minnow and she was born with four stumps, so her quality of life largely depends on what sorts of limbs she can afford at any given time. Here's some pages I've uploaded for free (the first half of the book will be free, both halves will be available on Amazon). So yeah, if anyone wants to see what I've been up to lately, here it is. The full book is 300 pages long. I'm just coloring some pages and adding text to finish them up. http://nickinamerica...original-series

Well, I'm just now starting to think about all the effects Mata Nui would have landing on a planet that's already inhabited.

Imagine how terrifying that would be, a robot that reaches into space landing on your world and turning into an island, claiming to be there for "exploration" and peaceful means.

From the surface, his approach would probably look like he was there to destroy them, like in Hellstar Remina.

I'll get back to this story, guys. The implications of Mata Nui's possible short-lived presence on the planet go deeper than you know. I'm not going to let Nova Orbis die. It's asleep for the moment, but I'll wake it up when I have the time for it.

I just spent most of yesterday stressing over how to continue to story after someone brought it up on DevArt. In the end, I didn't get any work done. I just gave myself a headache. I have some of the next chapter done, but darn I am having so much trouble making time for both this AND Planet Ripple and the occasional youtube vid. I'm being pulled in too many directions at once, and it's become a struggle just to actually finish anything.